the Bundesliga ‘English week’ returned for half two tonight with Bochum beating St Pauli 1-0 with a relegation scrap to kick off the night. Bayern Munich comfortably beat 5-0 Hoffenheim to regain their four-point lead, Union Berlin misplaced 2-0 to fellow strugglers Augsburg, Werder Bremen drew 3-3 Heidenheim and within the marquee sport of the night, VfB Stuttgart beat RB Leipzig 2-1.
Listed below are the three issues we learnt:
Bochum give themselves life within the battle for security:
On the penultimate match day of the 12 months, Bochum had but to win a sport. Now solely two video games into the 12 months they’ve received three after their draw in opposition to Union had been overturned for a win (pending an enchantment from Union) and have given themselves an actual probability at survival. They’re solely three factors off of Fifteenth-placed Hoffenheim and proceed to construct momentum and with a set of beneficial fixtures on the horizon in addition to a beneficial run to finish the season, survival is now an actual chance and never only a pipe dream.
Dieter Hecking has helped positive up the defence on the Ruhrstadion (early thrashings apart) and everybody appears to be pulling in the identical course. Bochum might mimic Mainz from final season, who someway escaped relegation.
Hoffenheim and Union Berlin sink into the relegation battle:
Hoffenheim was already there, this simply saved me from making a separate factor about them, however they’re to place it evenly, crap. This Sturm Graz 2.0 challenge is clearly not working, Christian Ilzer has not made the group any higher than Pellegrino Matarazzo, so this implies that it’s a deeper problem and the mass departures in within the workplace through the summer time present that the membership is slowly rotting from the within out. They’ve the standard to keep away from relegation, however whether or not they can battle off this decline is but to be seen. In the event that they do go down, there will likely be one other Baden-based group to switch them *KSC OLÉ OLÉ performs within the distance*.
Union Berlin at the moment are solely three factors off of the relegation locations. Though it has solely been two video games, the choice to sack Bo Svensson and change him with Steffen Baumgart doesn’t make any sense, particularly because the final time Baumgart was in any such state of affairs he was sacked. With the present Union squad, Urs Fischer took them so far as attainable after they certified for the Champions League, however as soon as it went downhill for him the true high quality of the squad was proven, and it’s most likely solely a matter of time earlier than they do find yourself getting relegated, after saving themselves on the ultimate day final season.
(Lothar Mätthaus I’ll at all times bear in mind you stated Rani Khedria needs to be part of Germany’s squad for the 2022 World Cup)
Deniz Undav makes VfB Stuttgart tick:
Stuttgart win two video games in a row within the league for the primary time this season, Deniz Undav performs in each of them after his harm. Coincidence, I feel not. The 28-year-old was at all times prone to be given the reigns of the assault after the departure of Serhou Guirassy in the summertime and his current harm layoff has appeared to have rejuvenated him. He was near his greatest as we speak as he assisted Jacob Bruun Larsen’s leveller and created probably the most be a part of probabilities within the sport (2).
Stuttgart additionally climbed into fifth within the league and are just one level behind as we speak’s opponents. If Stuttgart needs to not solely qualify for the playoffs of the Champions League but in addition doubtlessly even make Europe’s premier competitors once more, Undav will likely be key.
Nick Woltemade additionally deserves a point out. The 22-year-old has actually come into his personal this season, with seven objectives and two assists in 15 video games and he simply appears like a unicorn with how huge and lanky he’s the way in which he strikes and the method he possesses. He might simply be the longer term alternative for Kai Havertz within the nationwide group.
‘Large Nick Power’
See you for the second half of the season (Friday).
GGFN |